1. Field
The present application relates to a method and apparatus for multi-function processing, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for multi-function processing capable of performing a program downloading using a common single connection. The present application further relates to a computer readable medium for storing the above-mentioned method.
2. Description of the Related Arts
An image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, a scanner, an electronic filing apparatus, etc., or a combination apparatus of these machines, performs an image processing operation according to a program provided to a control unit of the apparatus.
Since the above program is typically stored in an EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory) provided to the apparatus, it is needed to exchange the EPROM each time the program is changed.
In order to reduce time required for the exchange of the EPROM, programs are recently stored in a flash ROM which can be updated by a downloading of a new program from an external storage including an IC (integrated circuit) card. Thereby, the time for exchanging the program in the apparatus is dramatically shortened. In this method, the IC card, for example, is substituted for the flash ROM, that is, addresses of the flash ROM and the IC card are exchanged on a memory map, and therefore the apparatus is started with the program stored in the IC card. Thereby, the apparatus can download a new program stored in the IC card to the flash ROM.
This download method is significant especially for a recent digital multi-function apparatus which is mostly based on a digital copying machine and has a plurality of components for image forming, such as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, etc., wherein each of the components is provided with a dedicated CPU and ROMs.
One example of the above background digital multi-function apparatus is explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a digital multi-function apparatus 5 based on a digital copying apparatus 6 having a main controller 100 and which has optional devices of a printer controller 200 and a facsimile controller 300. In this background digital multi-function apparatus 5, a CPU (central processing unit) 101 included in the main controller 100 controls the entire operations.
The background digital multi-function apparatus 5 performs a copying operation in which image data output from a reading controller 400 after an original is read by a reading unit (not shown) is sent to a writing controller 500 via an image controller 106. The writing controller 500 controls an LD (laser diode), not shown, to turn on and off according to the image data and forms an image on a transfer sheet based on a known electrophotographic procedure (not shown).
Each of the printer controller 200 and the facsimile controller 300 is connected to the digital copying apparatus 6 with a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) serving as a data transmitting configuration and an application image data bus serving as a data bus for sending data of an application image.
During a print operation, the printer controller 200 receives print data sent through a network with a network interface mechanism (not shown) and sends a print image generated by an image controller 206 based on the print data to the digital copying apparatus 6 so as to perform an image forming operation. This operation is performed by an execution of a printer application program by a CPU (central processing unit) 201 with an assistance of a ROM (read only memory) 202 and a RAM (random access memory) 203, included in the printer controller 200.
During a facsimile operation, the facsimile controller 300 transmits a facsimile image, generated and sent to the facsimile controller 300 by the digital copying apparatus 6, to a facsimile line with a facsimile line interface (not shown), or receives a facsimile signal from the facsimile line via the facsimile line interface and sends it to the digital copying apparatus 6 so as to perform the image forming operation. This operation is performed by an execution of a facsimile application program by a CPU (central processing unit) 301 with an assistance of a ROM (read only memory) 302 and a RAM (random access memory) 303, included in the facsimile controller 300.
In the above operations, the digital copying apparatus 6 exchanges with the printer controller 200 and the facsimile controller 300 control data through UARTs (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) 104, 204, and 304 and image data through the application image data bus connecting image controllers 106, 206, and 306 to each other so that the background digital multi-function apparatus 5 can perform a sequential operation under a multi-function operating system.
The main controller 100 is provided with a ROM (read only memory) 102 that stores a plurality of programs including a program used by the CPU 101 which governs the entire operations of the background digital multi-function apparatus 5. To update the programs, as described above, an IC (integrated circuit) card 107, serving as an external storage device and which stores a latest program, is connected to an IC (integrated circuit) card connector 105 and the program is downloaded to the ROM 102 via a CPU bus.
FIG. 2 shows a procedure of the program downloading performed by the background digital multi-function apparatus 5. After the IC card 107 is inserted into the IC card connector 105 in Step S701, the background digital multi-function apparatus 5 is given power in Step S702 and then a download program stored in the IC card 107 is initiated in Step S703. Thereby, the downloading program is started in Step S704.
In Step S704, the contents of the IC card 107 are sequentially transmitted to the ROM 102 via the CPU bus. Whether the transmission of the program is completed is checked in Step S706. If the transmission is determined as completed in Step S706, a process for completing the program downloading is performed in Step S707. Then, the process ends.
Likewise, the printer controller 200 performs an application operation according to the program stored in the ROM 202. To update the program, IC (integrated circuit) card 207 is connected to IC (integrated circuit) card connector 205 and the program stored in the IC card 207 is downloaded to the ROM 202. Also, the facsimile controller 300 performs an application operation according to the program stored in the ROM 302. To update the program, IC (integrated circuit) card 307 is connected to IC (integrated circuit) card connector 305 and the program stored in the IC card 307 is downloaded to the ROM 302.
However, the background digital multi-function apparatus 5 needs to have more than one mechanism for receiving the IC card and transmitting the contents of the IC card. This results in an increase of the manufacturing cost.